Once Upon a Time There Lived an Undesirable Puppy

As dog lovers, we hate to hear the words unwanted, deemed vicious, abused, and/or neglected. We tend to open our hearts, homes, and arms to those who need it most. Thankfully, I was able to do just that over 9 years ago.

Once Upon a Time, There Lived an Undesirable Puppy

Back in 2010, my hubs (now ex) and I lost our beloved tomcat, Jaggar. It was a sudden loss and one that didn’t fare well with either of us. The lost left our childless home empty and quiet. Neither one of us could fathom bringing another cat into our once “run by Jaggar” castle, yet, we needed something to fill the void.

I began searching online for a dog. But not just any dog. There were certain requirements I was looking for:

young, but not less than a year old

long life expectancy

larger dog

protector

unwanted

When I stumbled upon Petfinder and saw his face, I immediately started emailing the shelter to get more information. About a week later, I found myself driving about 45 minutes to the shelter to meet this handsome guy.

His Name Was Lucky Teddy

So the story was told, this poor little guy was twice-homed, had two previous names, and was labeled in society as a “pit bull”. Technically, his label on the cage said:

Teddy
1 1/2-year-old American Bulldog/Mastiff Mix

The image above on the left is just how I found this guy in his kennel. If you look at his eyes, they may creep you out a bit. He was timid, which put me on guard. It took me 20 minutes before I would even put my finger next to the kennel for him to sniff. Another 10-15 minutes more before I asked the folks at the shelter if we could take him outside.

I’m happy I did. His entire disposition changed. See the picture above on the right? Yes, even at a young age, Teddy was proud of his junk and loved belly rubs!

I was in love!

I sent my hubs ex a few pictures via my phone of Teddy. His reply was “Bring him home.”

However, we weren’t prepared to bring a dog home. We didn’t have the necessities on-hand. It would take at least another day.

I spoke with the Adoption Coordinator, whom I had been emailing previously, and completed the application for adoption. We were approved basically on-the-spot. She mentioned, due to our previous email communications, that she had a good feeling about us and hoped we would want him.

I told her “I’ll be back in the morning for him.”

I went back to the kennel, just one more time, to let this little handsome guy know that I would be back tomorrow to take him home. He almost seemed to understand me. The look in his eyes was different now. He turned around, grabbed a toy, and started playing.

I knew I was doing something wonderful!

That night, I sent a text to my boss and told him I needed to take off the following day. My hubs ex and I began thinking of names for him. After all, Teddy just didn’t seem fitting for this little bundle of joy. He was very accommodating. I set out early the next morning to the story to pick up a collar, leash, bowls, food, toys, and treats.

Lucky Teddy is Freed!

The Freedom Ride is one of the happiest time for a dog and a new fur-rent in my opinion. Ours was especially exciting because this twice rejected, twice homed “bully” was coming home with ME forever.

The 45-minute ride home seemed like forever. I wanted to ride with my new furson by my side, however, I put him the backseat of my truck. During the Freedom Ride, this handsome guy, whom I named Titan, leaned in between the two seats and kissed me.

There no greater love than the unconditional love from a dog.

I knew I just did the best thing that ever happened to him or did he just give me the biggest gift of love ever?

2 thoughts on “Once Upon a Time There Lived an Undesirable Puppy”

Awwww, love this story of Titan, Bren. Brought a tear to my eye. You two are a great match, obviously. It must have been heartbreaking to walk through the rescue centre though. Wah. You’ve saved a lovely guy. Great that you’re sharing your experiences to inspire others who are thinking of adopting ‘unwanted’ 😦 pets.

Thank you, Lisa. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It definitely is difficult walking through a shelter seeing so many loving dogs that are homeless. If I was financially able I would have more than two myself. Dogs bring so much joy to my life and unconditional love. I’ve hit the jackpot with each rescue I’ve done and will continue to do it as long as I’m able. I appreciate you stopping by to read and comment. Thank you!